


Like Air

by Planthoughts



Series: Hope for Beacon Hills [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Alpha Pack, BAMF Cora Hale, BAMF Erica Reyes, BAMF Stiles, BAMF Vernon Boyd, F/M, Good Alpha Pack, M/M, Magical Stiles Stilinski, Mates, Multi, Spark Stiles Stilinski
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-16 02:08:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29199630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Planthoughts/pseuds/Planthoughts
Summary: Stiles begins to settle into his new role as Spark to the (mostly) Alpha Pack of Beacon Hills, but summer's over, bodies show up in the woods, and oh yeah, there's school and friends to deal with...-Sequel to The Thing with Feathers.
Relationships: Deucalion/Stiles Stilinski, Ennis/Kali (Teen Wolf), Lydia Martin/Jackson Whittemore, Peter Hale/Sheriff Stilinski, Vernon Boyd/Erica Reyes, Vernon Boyd/Ethan/Erica Reyes
Series: Hope for Beacon Hills [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2123442
Comments: 171
Kudos: 319





	1. Chapter 1

Stiles wakes suddenly. Something’s wrong. Deuc stirs next to him, throwing an arm over his hips. 

“You okay?” the alpha murmurs through a yawn. 

“Nem,” Stiles mumbles. He sits up slipping Deuc’s arm loose in the process, and stumbles to get clothes on. His phone reads 3am in the dark room. It’s not exactly the alarm he set for his first day of senior year. 

The spark feels the persistent tugging in his chest. Nem’s annoyed by something. Someone’s trying to do something the great tree doesn’t like. 

Deuc’s ready with Stiles less than a minute later. They’re still in the Beacon Valley house, so the drive would take a bit. Ennis, Kali and Peter slip out of their rooms as Stiles gets his shoes on. 

“Something has disturbed the Nemeton,” Deuc explains. “Stiles feels the pull. We’re going to check on it.”

“You don’t have to come,” Stiles yawns. “Just know I won’t get back to sleep until I can see Nem’s okay. Probably nothing.” He stumbles towards the door, still surprised that the wolves follow without question. 

“Of course we’re coming Stiles. Don’t be ridiculous.” Peter scoffs. “Could you imagine what your father would do to me if I allowed something to happen to you? Just because you’re blasé about your own safety, doesn’t excuse the rest of us.” Stiles rolls his eyes. He’s in one piece. Peter likes to remind him that it’s luck, and not Stiles’ skill in self-preservation that makes it so. 

Kali sighs, “Less bickering, more moving. Take the SUV. I like the idea of all of us staying together.” At her words, they pile into the big vehicle in the driveway. The twins' laziness works to their advantage for once. They tend to not park in the garage like they’re supposed to. 

Peter stretches out in the back bench seat to “rest his eyes.” Stiles and Deucalion take the center where Stiles immediately begins meditating to try and figure out what’s wrong.

It feels like just a minute later that he’s shaken by Deuc with no more information than he started with. All he got were feelings of wrong, wrong, cold, not Stiles. His stomach roles with queasiness. 

He gets the door open, and leans heavily against a tree. Bile spills onto the grass at his feet. Someone thrusts a bottle of water in his face so he can wash his mouth out. His stomach still doesn’t feel great, but he thinks he can function enough. 

“Thanks” he says to Deuc, “Come on, we gotta go.” He takes another swig and spits, tossing the water bottle into the still open door. Kali and Ennis already head towards Nem’s clearing while Deuc and Peter wait for Stiles. They flank the spark as he moves to follow the two alphas. 

It’s the first time Nem has woken him before. Usually the magical fulcrum flashes images and feelings to him throughout the day when he takes breaks to check in. That’s on top of his visits. Stiles and Nem spend at least an hour together every day, if not more – rain or shine. Colds in the summer after hanging out in a thunderstorm aren’t the most fun. At least he had a hot nurse. Deucalion wished he’d take a rain jacket next time rather than moan in bed for a week.

The pack looked into a closer residence. No one wants him to make the nearly hour drive everyday. Shockingly, nothing in Beacon Hills suits a pack of fancy alphas. It took a month to decide on a new build in the preserve. They did not choose the same area as the old Hale house – that felt criminal especially with Peter in the pack. 

The location would give Stiles the access he needs to Nem with the bonus of bringing the teens closer to their families. They just need to wait another few months for the house to be complete. 

Stiles could not wait. He still felt uncomfortable spending pack funds on gas even if the pack felt the energy from his visits with Nem.

The wolves on either side of him cock their heads to the side and listen. Their shoulders relax marginally, and Stiles takes that to mean the coast is clear. That’s good because Nem’s clearing is just up ahead, and if they think they can–

“Stiles, wait a moment,” Deuc reaches an arm around his stomach. “Let Peter go first.” Stiles grumbles. Of course, let the wolf man go even though Kali and Ennis are clearly already in the area. He’s not just a squishy human. He’s a magic squishy human. That has to count for something.

The alpha rubs his stomach through his shirt, “Before you go in there, I am unsure of what Nem has warned you of, but there are bodies. Nem is safe, but someone was here. Kali believes they tried to make a sacrifice, but the Nemeton refused it.” 

Oh. 

That makes sense. Stiles suddenly feels silly and glad to let the beta go first then. He hasn’t been great with blood since getting out of the basement. It’s not a nice reminder of his time with Gerard, even if the hunter did end up bringing him his wolf. 

“Thanks," Stiles breathes deep, "Thanks for warning me. It’s bad?” Stiles asks quietly.

“Very bad. Darling, are you sure you need to see Nem?” Deucalion asks patiently. The alpha already knows the answer. 

Stiles nods, “Yeah, feels all jittery. Nem needs to settle. I think we just need to touch for a little bit. We can do that right?” Deuc turns his head towards the clearing again, and nods. It’s still a rush to realize that he helped his alpha see. 

Stiles allows the alpha to guide him towards his Nemeton with an arm around his waist. 

Deucalion’s right. It’s bad. 

Two bodies lay in the clearing with slit throats and malformed heads. It’s hard to see more detail in the dark. Stiles has to turn into the Alpha and close his eyes for a bit to recenter himself. Deuc rubs his back and mumbles nonsense to ground him. For once, Stiles is thankful for his very human sight. The grass is painted dark around the bodies. Each one leans seemingly precariously against an invisible bound twenty feet from the tree stump. It looks like there was a third. Stiles tries to keep his stomach in noticing the last dark patch laying exposed without a body to shield it. 

He stumbles his way past the two dead teenagers to sit on the stump. 

“You,” he breathes through his mouth, “You did, you did good buddy.” He tells Nem panting. Stiles lays back on the stump, but calls out. “Peter and Kali went after the third?” He has to clear his throat several times to get the words out.

Deucalion hums, “Ennis is calling your dad too. Do what you need, Darling. I want to get you safe.” He prowls the edge of the clearing, watching Stiles appear almost asleep on the Nemeton. Deuc knows it helps his spark concentrate, but everything in this moment makes him uncomfortable. Something came onto their territory. He could feel every instinct scream at him to protect his mate, to whisk his pack away from the perceived threat. If only Stiles wouldn’t murder him as a result of taking him away. 

In little time, he hears the Sheriff’s cruiser pull up. The man still has a short hike to reach them. Ennis goes down to lead John back to the clearing. Deucalion splits his attention between his mate and his pack in their separate locations. He can still hear Ennis, but Deucalion can only feel Kali and Peter through the bonds. His worry reflects in the emotions from the others. At least the rest of the pack are still at the house. 

The Sheriff comes into the clearing with Ennis and a flashlight. Peter’s sudden howling shock overlays the mumbled “Jesus” from the Sheriff at the sight of the dead teens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still I Rise  
> BY MAYA ANGELOU
> 
> You may write me down in history  
> With your bitter, twisted lies,  
> You may trod me in the very dirt  
> But still, like dust, I'll rise.
> 
> Does my sassiness upset you?  
> Why are you beset with gloom?  
> ’Cause I walk like I've got oil wells  
> Pumping in my living room.
> 
> Just like moons and like suns,  
> With the certainty of tides,  
> Just like hopes springing high,  
> Still I'll rise.
> 
> Did you want to see me broken?  
> Bowed head and lowered eyes?  
> Shoulders falling down like teardrops,  
> Weakened by my soulful cries?
> 
> Does my haughtiness offend you?  
> Don't you take it awful hard  
> ’Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines  
> Diggin’ in my own backyard.
> 
> You may shoot me with your words,  
> You may cut me with your eyes,  
> You may kill me with your hatefulness,  
> But still, like air, I’ll rise.
> 
> Does my sexiness upset you?  
> Does it come as a surprise  
> That I dance like I've got diamonds  
> At the meeting of my thighs?
> 
> Out of the huts of history’s shame  
> I rise  
> Up from a past that’s rooted in pain  
> I rise  
> I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,  
> Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
> 
> Leaving behind nights of terror and fear  
> I rise  
> Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear  
> I rise  
> Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,  
> I am the dream and the hope of the slave.  
> I rise  
> I rise  
> I rise.


	2. Chapter 2

Peter follows the trail. The scent from the person he follows reminds him of another life. It can’t be true. His Alpha matches his stride. Peter runs faster. The blood trail gets thicker. He’s close. 

The body, when they approach, lays half in and half out of the stream. Her face is down in the water, and long black hair floats along the current. Peter sprints to the girl, ripping her from the water. He gets her on dry ground, and gets his first glimpse at her face. The scent matches. Peter howls in grief.

It’s Cora. 

“Peter” Kali cries, “she’s still alive!” The alpha pushes her beta out of the way, and begins chest compressions once she realizes the omega isn’t breathing. There’s a deep wound across the girl’s throat that slowly closes. Kali puts pressure on her throat to reduce bleeding while it heals, and starts mouth to mouth. They’re saving grace is that the windpipe isn’t punctured. Peter holds Cora’s head, and pets her hair as Kali works.

On the Alpha’s third round of compressions, the body tenses and Cora turns to her side to cough up water. Peter rubs her back as she lays panting on her side. 

“Cora? You’re alive,” the beta’s voice is filled with awe. Kali’s never heard him speak in that tone. 

“Uncle, Uncle Peter?” the teen rasps. Her eyes close, and her body stills into unconsciousness. Peter picks her up as if she weighs nothing, cradling her head to his shoulder. Kali doesn’t comment on the tears running down his face. 

“Come, let’s get her out of these woods.” his alpha says. Peter follows behind silently, clutching his lost niece to his chest. He will never let her go again.

They run fast.

-

Stiles hears Deuc pace, but it’s almost like listening to the radio. The actual sound happens somewhere else. He falls deeply into Nem’s flow. It’s the only way Stiles knows how to describe it – a slow moving current of feelings and images that stitch together into stories for Stiles to follow. The flow is nowhere near as straightforward as a conversation, but it feels more honest. 

Nem replays the event in stunning, soundless clarity. A woman with deep living wounds scratched diagonally across her face walks into Nem’s clearing with three teenage girls floating behind her. They’re unhurt, but unconscious. The disfigured woman turns to Nem’s stump, and as if the girls’ strings are cut, they fall to the ground hard. The woman doesn’t care, just begins raising her arms and walking closer to Nem. He feels Nem’s repulsion as the woman tries to get near the stump.

Her steps get slower and slower as if she’s pushing against an invisible force until she cannot move closer to the great tree anymore. Stiles feels Nem’s smugness as Stiles watches this happen, and he pushes feelings of pride at the tree. He watches the woman frown, but start speaking (chanting?) anyway. He can’t hear what she’s saying, but whatever it is can’t be good.

She stops abruptly, and grabs one of the unconscious girls by the hair. The woman pulls a small blade from her pocket, and Stiles wants to vomit as she slices into the first girl’s neck,followed by the other two. 

Her disfigured face smiles as she completes the act. She begins speaking again immediately, but looks to the ground as well. The woman picks up a stone, grabs one of the dying girls by the hair, and slams it several times into the back of the girl’s head. Stiles chokes on air. She tries dragging the body closer to the Nemeton, but is forced to stop even further away than before. The monster tries with the second, and the same happens. 

As the woman struggles with the second girl, the third starts to come around, grasping her heavily bleeding neck in both hands. The girl’s eyes widen as she sees the distracted monster, and bolts from the clearing. The teen does not even look to see if she’s being followed. 

The monster gives chase seemingly forgetting the left over bodies. 

Stiles falls back into himself suddenly, like tripping on a forgotten step. The dark woods are littered with sound, and stars dance above him. The night’s real and loud and too much to comprehend. It feels just like a dream, but Stiles knows that what Nem showed him is the absolute truth of what happened tonight. 

So much blood. 

He struggles to get to his feet. In a beat, Deucalion grasps his elbows to help him stand. The girls still lay surrounding him causing his stomach to roll. “Gonna- sick” he stutters to Deuc who immediately leads him to the tree line. He dry heaves. At least there’s nothing left for him to lose. 

Stiles just begins to settle when crashing comes through the bushes. His wolf doesn’t react at all, so Stiles assumes Peter and Kali are close. He leans heavily on Deuc as he straightens, and they slowly make their way to his dad and Ennis. 

Deucalion makes sure Stiles’ back is to the clearing. Ennis and his dad’s eyes go wide. He can see the moment when Peter and Kali break through the forest through their expressions. Stiles turns. 

Peter carries the third girl in his arms. Her long dark hair is plastered to her head, hanging in thick, wet clumps over Peter’s arm. Blood stains the entirety of her front. Even as it dries on her shirt, Stiles doesn’t see the wound where it came from. Then it hits him.

Wolf.

-

The drive back is quiet. Deuc slips behind the wheel this time with Stiles in the front. Kali watches her beta and the new Hale in the back. It reminds her of another drive where they found their Spark. She hopes the challenges that Stiles went through aren’t mirrored for the girl.

Ennis stays behind with his dad to move the crime scene. The bodies can’t stay around Nem, cutting off Stiles for potential weeks at a time. They decide on the burned out remains of the Hale House instead, even Peter agrees. There’s an added bonus of removing the evidence of Cora from the scene. No one is ready to have deputies chase down a not-dead-because-she’s-a-werewolf teenager from a flubbed ritualistic sacrifice. 

The drive back feels longer for Stiles, and the events begin to catch up to him as his eyes get heavier. Deuc’s hand finds the back of his neck to massage tense muscles. Stiles slips into sleep well before his wolf pulls in front of the gates. He wakes briefly as Deuc lifts him from the seat to bring him to bed. Stiles grumbles about school, but it’s well past 7am by the time they get back.

Stiles doesn’t wake again until noon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In have no idea where this is going to go. I hope you enjoy the ride with me!
> 
> Thanks for your reviews and feedback!


	3. Chapter 3

Peter doesn’t sleep, just watches over Cora’s rest as her wounds heal. She’s lucky it did not go deep enough to cause more than blood loss, lucky she didn’t drown. The luck of tonight terrifies him. If Stiles hadn’t been alerted, if Peter hadn’t followed him, if they hadn’t realized there was a third girl. If, if, if. 

But they had. Thank Mother Moon, they had. 

He sees her chest slowly move up and down in his borrowed pajamas. Peter’s just so thankful that they were in the right place. It doesn’t solve the problem of how she got there, but he wouldn’t trade her for anything. Cora was just 9 years old when the fire happened. Not even Derek believed there were any other survivors. How could Peter break the news to his nephew now?

He ponders the question as the house wakes around him. The twins, Erica, and Boyd get ready for school until Kali tells them of the night. Those plans are paused for the day after the rest of the pack listens to last night’s events through shocked kitchen conversation. They all wonder what Peter wants. Does he want her to be pack? Does he want her to go to Derek?

Peter doesn’t know. 

Of all Talia’s children, Cora was always his favorite. She used to follow him through the house, try to emulate his walk and speech. Tell anyone who would listen that she wanted to be just like her Uncle Peter. Talia’s mouth would always turn down at the announcement, but he’d never forget the way pride filled his chest at the little girl’s belief in him. He’s not sure how he can tell that little girl that he killed her big sister. 

-

Stiles wakes up with his head at Deuc’s hip with the Alpha’s fingers in his hair. When he sees Stiles’ eyes open, his book closes, and his Spark gets his full attention. Last night’s excursion feels even more like a dream. Stiles shakes, closes his eyes and hides his face against Deuc’s sleep pants. He doesn’t move for a while, taking in the scent of his mate and the feeling of the sheets on their bed.

Exhaustion kept the dreams away, but the memories are alive and well now. 

“The others are in the kitchen. Suffice it to say that education is not a priority for the day,” the wolf says, still petting Stiles’ hair. The room is quiet, and sun filters in through the trees outside the windows. It’s a beautiful day. Stiles just needs to focus on that. 

The Spark gets out of bed. Deucalion’s rage simmers, will always simmer, at the sight of the Spark’s thickly scarred back. The idea that Stiles could return his sight, but could not fully heal himself weighed heavily. 

“I’m going to take a shower,” Stiles says. “Meet you out there?’ 

“Of course darling,” Deucalion responds. He rises to get himself ready for the day. He has a feeling that lounge pants aren’t the armor he’s going to need. 

-

Like after most high stress situations, the pack ends up draped all over the den couch with a movie on low. Some pay attention, read or like Kali, catch up on missed sleep. No one is surprised when Peter and Cora emerge a few hours after the girl wakes up. They had a lot to work out. 

When Peter walks into the room, Kali wakes. She somehow still looks put together. Stiles wonders if it’s her own brand of magic. The alpha meets Peter with open arms, and the older, taller wolf practically falls into them. She rubs her hand up and down his back, then through his hair. No one wcould doubt where Peter belongs.

Cora stands awkwardly to the side while it happens. Stiles watches her fidget uncomfortably while Kali spends a few minutes covering Peter in her comfort and scent. The Alpha finally turns to the girl.

“Kali, I’d like you to meet Cora Hale, my niece. Cora, this is my Alpha Kali, and our pack.” Peter sounds casual, but the bond echoes just how nervous their Left Hand is at the introduction. He wants this to go well.

Cora steps forward, and actually bows. “Alpha Kali, thank you for allowing me into your den.” It all seems very rigid to Stiles, and he can’t help the giggle that escapes. Erica catches it as well, and soon they fall into one another dying with laughter. 

Stiles can _feel_ Peter roll his eyes. 

“Really Stiles?” the beta asks, “this is serious.” Peter’s a bit too dignified to whine, but he definitely flirts with the line. That has Ethan joining in on the laughter. He falls into the pile that Erica and Stiles start. Even Boyd cracks a smile now, looking up from his book. 

Stiles’ voice floats from the bottom of the pile, still laughing, “But, but Peter! Kali, ha! She, she, she gave you a mohawk!” That sets off another howling round of laughs from all of the teens and Ennis. Even Deuc’s dry chuckle joins the choir. Cora giggles. Peter brings his hand up to his hair to straighten it out and looks at Kali. She raises her eyebrow. Peter dive bombs the pile of teenagers, throwing pillows at the lot of them. The rest of the pack quickly gets involved. Deucalion teams up with Ennis to cause absolute mayhem. 

Stiles calls traitor, but needs to dive behind the island as retribution comes his way. Feathers coat just about every surface of the den.

Cora smiles. 

-

The Sheriff has had a long day then night, and now day again. He probably shouldn’t be driving, especially all the way out to the pack house, but he wants to hide for at least a little bit. Really, he needs to see Peter – make sure the wolf is okay. 

He does not expect to walk into the den to find feathers everywhere. His entrance causes the action to pause. The pillow still swings from Ennis’ hand, but Deuc politely blocks the second pillow soaring towards John’s head. 

The Sheriff rolls his eyes at the group. Stiles pulls a sandwich from the fridge, and gives him a hug during the delivery. “Thanks kid. I’m going to ignore whatever this is and sleep for 8 hours. If _any_ of you wakes me up, there will be consequences.” With that, he wipes a hand over his eyes and stumbles through the hall with the plate in his hand.

Peter looks to Cora, “Will you be okay for a bit?’ She nods. Peter immediately follows the man back to their room. 

Cora is left alone with the pack for the first time, but knows with absolute certainty that she should not follow her uncle. Her confidence leaves without him in the room. 

“Hungry?” the only human left asks. He’s already back in the kitchen trying to get any straggling feathers off the counters with the help of a sandy blonde wolf.

The guy doesn’t wait for her confirmation, “How do you feel about chicken stroganoff?” One the twins moans from the couch, “Say yes!”

“Yes?” Cora asks. He laughs and introduces himself, “I’m Stiles by the way.” He pauses to smirk, “My shadow is Deucalion.” The other man rolls his eyes in response. It seems to be a common pack trait.

Deucalion wraps his arms around the human’s stomach from behind, and speaks in a proper English voice, “If you attempt to hurt my mate, I will kill you. Otherwise, we will get along fine.” He delivers that statement with no humor, and Cora squirms.

“Deuc!” Stiles says, turning in the wolf’s arms, “You can’t threaten people like that!”

“On the contrary darling, my wolf demands it,” Deucalion’s alpha-red stare doesn’t leave Cora’s face. “No one will lay a finger on you again.” He says seriously, now looking deeply at Stiles. He looks back at Cora, “Not while I still breathe.”

The human hits the alpha’s shoulder. “You know I didn’t believe Erica and Boyd when they said you were scary that first night. Now I do.”

“Like I would lie about that!” Shouts the blond. The others have begun the process of picking up the refuse in the den. Stiles raises an eyebrow. 

“Sheriff...right, sorry.” The girl whispers, grabbing the broom. 

“But, I thought,” Cora looks to Kali, “I thought Kali was the alpha?”

“Yeah, about that. Technically speaking, we have five.” Stiles doesn’t look up. He’s already cutting chicken.

“What?” She turns to the others. The twins and Ennis flash their eyes. Her gold eyes respond in turn. “I don’t understand. How?”

“Magic,” says the other apparent beta. He’s tall. The blonde sits on his shoulders to reach the pillow cases caught on the ceiling fan.

“Oh.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Peter and the Sheriff next chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

Peter follows John back. He raises his eyebrow as the sheriff bypasses his usual guestroom, and opens the door to Peter’s instead. He puts his plate on the nightstand, collapses on the bed, head in his hands. Peter closes the door behind him. John doesn’t look up.

“God Peter,” the man finally mumbles behind his hands, “I’m so tired.”

It’s more than just the events of the night, though that in and of itself is no small thing. It’s not just understanding that the world is made of magic and werewolves and who knows what else. They’ve orbited around one another too long, 9 years too long. They’ve run parallel, always close but never touching. Peter gets into the other side of the bed, pulls blankets around them both, pulls John to him. 

“I know,” he rubs John’s back, “I know. I’ve got you.”

-

There’s a moment between being asleep and waking up. It’s different from the feeling of being not quite asleep. Dream figures crawl into his world to replace reality. Gnarled bodies with misshapen heads follow him, taunting, close. He slips on thick branches that try to hold him to metal tables, so old men can wash their hands of his blood in the sink afterward. 

He gasps as the sheets slither and tighten around him. He escapes because he has to escape, but his voice is loud now. Not like before. That’s the difference. 

Sound is an odd thing that’s hard to recreate perfectly. His voice box responds to what he wants. It stops. There’s Deuc, always there, always with him – not touching. Not holding him down, but there and talking. The bonds in his chest, something that’s real and solid, irrevocably there, they sing with warmth and worry for him. 

Stiles lays on the floor in their bedroom. 

He’s not in the woods with the bodies. He’s not in the basement. Sheets tangle around his legs. He breathes deep, and frees himself. He breathes deep, and looks at his wolf.

“I’m sorry,” Stiles whispers, cheeks wet, “Not the best way to start my first day back is it?” He gives a shaky smile. Deucalion pulls him off of the floor into a hug. 

“Nothing to be sorry for darling,” Deuc nuzzles into Stiles’ hair and neck. Stiles remains quiet. The wolf radiates heat. These moments shake the last of the dreams from him. He will never forget the cold of the basement, but at least the alpha can eradicate the feeling from his arms and chest. 

Stiles closes his eyes, and leans his cheek against his wolf’s collar bone. Deucalion slowly strokes up and down his spine. Stiles pretends he can’t feel the dips and valleys of the scars along his back.

Deucalion presses his lips against his Spark’s temple, “It is quite early still. Do you want to wash or read for a bit?” Stiles stays silent. He fiddles with the bonds, sending thanks, warmth, sorry to everyone. 

Stiles rubs his finger along the Decucalion’s opposite collar bone. He hides his eyes in the wolf’s neck, and mumbles, “I don’t think I can let go yet.”

He holds Stiles tighter, “Oh darling, that was never an option.”

-

A few hours later, Stiles sits on the island countertop while Deuc stirs a giant pot of oatmeal. The sun lights up the space. He swings his legs while slowly demolishing all of the fruit he cut up earlier. 

“If you continue along that path, at least the twins will complain about plain oatmeal.” The wolf turns to face his Spark with a smile. 

Stiles smirks back, and pops another piece of strawberry in his mouth, “Finders, keepers?”

Deuc grins, “Of course, I found you after all.”

“Alert! Alert!” Aiden shuffles into the room dressed for the day though his jacket covers his head, “I am shielding my eyes. Do not be gross in front of me.”

Stiles rolls his eyes, “Oh you’re fine. We haven’t done anything to besmirch your delicate sensibilities yet. ”

“Yet,” the teen wolf mumbles, putting his jacket on properly. It doesn't take long for everyone else to filter in. Soon the kitchen fills with plates clacking together, coffee being poured, and grumbling about the early wake up. Erica and Ethan moan about the extra 40 minutes they can sleep when the new house is finished.

Peter and John are the last to enter. It escapes no one’s notice that they come in together, and do not stray far from each other. 

Stiles doesn’t move from his spot on the island, and Deuc stands leaning against his knee. John gives them the hairy eyeball as he finishes buttoning his uniform shirt. He doesn’t say anything about Stiles’ proximity to the wolf even though it's clear the sheriff wants to. 

Explaining the whole hey-we’re-destined-to-be-together-because-magic was a fun conversation Stiles never wants to have again. At least his dad tries, even as the thought of a 25 year old Alpha Werewolf being with his son freaks him the hell out. But hey, has Stiles mentioned that they’re taking it slow? Cuddling aside, they’re taking their time. For that, his dad is grateful. 

John continues looking at them both before finally turning to his son, “If anything, and I mean anything, weird happens today I want to know about it. You need to leave early because of whatever? I’ll be there. Do you hear me kid?”

Just like that, Stiles knows that he did not just wake Deuc and the wolves early.

-

The halls are packed when Stiles, Erica, Boyd, and the twins get to school. No one’s really sure what to do with Cora yet; Stiles doesn’t think Cora knows what to do with Cora yet. The bell hasn’t rung. They still have 15 minutes or so before dealing with first period.

Ethan and Aiden’s lockers are on either side of his own. That has his dad’s fingerprints all over it. Erica and Boyd, as usual, are right across from him in the hall. He loves that they’re all so close together. 

He especially loves having the pack close when Scott ambles down the hall with a crooked smile on his face like the guy hadn’t gone radio silent on Stiles since the state championship, as if the last 3 months never happened. Aiden and Ethan must sense where his thoughts are going because they immediately surround him as Scott gets within a few steps of him.

Scott looks perplexed, “Stiles? Hey man what’s going on?” Stiles sees the moment Scott recognizes what the twins are. His back straightens and his eyes flash _in a hallway full of teenagers._

“Scott!” Stiles whispers furious, “Now is _not_ the time. Put. It. Away.” The twins don’t stand down, but Scott does take a moment to shake off the shift. By this point, Erica and Boyd stand on either side of the twins, all staring down the omega. Attuned to his spark and constantly surrounded by people in control of their wolves, suddenly being around someone who isn’t creates a bit of a shock. 

Scott feels untethered. It makes his skin prickle, and the hairs on the back of his arms rise. He’s a ticking time bomb. 

“Scott,” Stiles tries to gentle his voice, “Now is not the time or place for this. We’ll talk after class, okay?” The spark can feel his phone buzzing in his pocket. Great, he feels as freaked out as he thought he would. 

Scott huffs, but takes a look at the pack he’d have to get around and stalks off. Stiles lets out a long breath. 

“That went well,” Erica mutters sarcastically. Stiles sighs, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He knows it’s Deuc.

The wolf immediately starts in, not giving Stiles a chance to even say hello, “What happened? Do we need to come gather you? Are–”

Stiles has to cut him off, “Deuc, it’s fine. Scott was here. He reacted to the twins. Can you and maybe Ennis come to the school at the end of the day? I told Scott I’d talk to him after class. He feels…odd.”

“Of course I will.” Deuc responds, “Odd how?”

Stiles sighs, “I knew he would be an omega, but it’s like he’s at the end of his rope. Sorry, I’ve got to go, the bell’s going to ring soon.”

“Stiles!” Deuc gets in quickly. The spark can feel his nerves, “Promise to keep at least one of the twins with you or both Erica and Boyd. I do not like the sound of this.”


	5. Chapter 5

Ethan is an utter helion. Harris looks like he’s about to have an aneurysm, and Stiles loves every minute of it. The class is just before lunch, and starts with Harris making the same big production he does every year in making the class take a first day pop quiz. Ethan does not take it well.

The teen raises his hand and when Harris obviously ignores him asks, “How much of our grade is riding on this? You know, considering we haven’t learned anything yet?”

Erica gives a shocked laugh and Ethan winks at her while Harris looks at him. Harris frowns at the wolf, “Quizzes are 25% of your grade.”

“Oh that’s nice,” Ethan says rolling his eyes, “Is that on the syllabus you haven’t handed out yet?”

“Do the quiz. Detention after school today.” Harris remarks, sitting back at his desk. He doesn’t respond to any more looks or questions after that. 

Stiles frowns, Ethan and Erica do too. Detention means not being with Stiles after class. 

Ethan gets up to head for the door.

“Sit back in your seat!” Harris shouts after him.

“Oh, I don’t think so. I’m going to chat with the Principal about this quiz. I want to understand if it’s normal for something like this on the first day.” Ethan calls. He doesn’t even pause in his step.

It’s glorious.

-

“And then Harris _chased_ him down the hall! Dad, it was glorious!” Stiles says during a call at lunch.

“He couldn’t stop Ethan at all because, hello! Werewolf! The principal gave Harris a reprimand on his file!” Stiles positively cackles while the pack spreads out on a blanket on the lacrosse field. Stiles can be as loud as he wants because no one else is around.

“Stiles,” John sighs on the other end. He imagines his dad putting a hand over his eyes. That’s the usual tick, “Kid you know I love you, but is that why you called?”

“Well not exactly?” Stiles wheedles. Erica doesn’t like the feeling coming from him, so leans on his shoulder. Boyd throws an arm around him.

“Remember the whole Omega thing?” Stiles mumbles.

“Yes….” his dad ends it in a bit of a question.

“Well, I just. Scott hasn’t really talked to me all summer. I’m still not sure what happened when he, when I got taken. But now Scott doesn’t feel right, like he feels like a real bad off Omega and I haven’t seen Jackson and I’ve passed Lydia in the hall, but we haven’t talked and I think she’s avoiding me, but I’m really worried about Scott, like all summer it felt like he didn’t care about me, but now he feels just off and I told him I’d talk to him after class, but you said I should tell you if anything is weird and this is me telling you weird stuff so I just thought I’d tell you before anyone else did, and I’m meeting Scott after school. But! But Ethan and Aiden and Erica and Boyd will be there! And Deuc said he would come with Ennis, so it’s fine! You don’t have to worry!”

Silence.

“Stiles,” John finally sighs, “Jesus kid. You sure like to step in it. Look, I’m glad that you’re telling me before it happened. Thank you for involving people who can help. You need to make sure that you’re protected. Is at least one of them in each of your classes?”

Stiles nods even though his dad can’t see it, “I’m with him for English last period, but Erica has it with me.” He mumbles. Erica nudges him in the shoulder and smiles at him. He manages to return a small one.

“Okay, that’s good. I’m going to drive over to the end of school too. I’ll see you with Ennis and Deuc. Peter says he’s going to come as well. Okay? It’s going to be fine.” John says.

“Famous last words?” Stiles asks.

-

Stiles’ shoulders twitch. He can feel Scott’s stare all throughout English. They have a brand new teacher, and she’s pretty slick with the whole “this is the last text you’ll get in my class” schtick. The distraction of a new teacher doesn’t stop Scott’s stare though. He hasn’t seen Allison at all today, and wonders what happened to the two of them. 

Stiles shivers.

He doesn’t mind that she’s not here. Not after her wholehearted participation in what happened to him, Erica, and Boyd. When he finally learned how she got Erica and Boyd – well there’s no turning back from that. Come to think of it, Stiles should probably ask Deuc what came of the Council intervention with that family of crazys. Maybe he’s better off not knowing? Probably, but that’s never stopped him before. 

A loud “BANG” makes him jump from his thoughts. He looks towards the windows where the sound came from. It’s like slow motion, watching another bird slam against the window. It doesn’t stop. Stiles gets up from his seat as the sky turns black with birds. Stiles pulls his phone and texts “get here now” on the pack thread.

Just as he hits send, birds begin crashing into the windows. His phone vibrates in his hand, but he has to focus on what’s happening in front of him. Windows crack. He grabs Erica’s hand. “Get into the hallway you idiots!” He shouts as he gets the door open. Students flock to him. The first bird gets through the glass. Others follow. 

“Hurry the fuck up,” he yells to the remaining stragglers. As soon as the last student gets through, he slams it closed, and leans against it with Erica, panting. Birds continue slamming against the door hard. It rattles in the hinges. The twins and Boyd come from opposite directions at a sprint. 

As soon as they see their pack they slow to a more believable speed. 

“You okay?” Boyd asks, pulling Erica into his arms. Ethan surrounds her other side. Aiden sticks close to Stiles, noticing how Scott tries to sidle closer to the Spark. 

The banging comes to a gradual stop. 

Scott has a scowl on his face with his eyes narrowed at Stiles, “You did this, didn’t you?” He pushes other students out of his way to get closer. Aiden puts himself in the way while Stiles gets up from the floor. 

“You did it!” The omega says louder. If he didn’t have everyone’s attention before, he has it now. 

Stiles looks around at the milling students. This isn’t good. There’s weird energy around, but with Scott acting so strange it’s hard to focus, “Scott, chill man. How could I do whatever the hell just happened?” 

“I know you did it!” He exclaims. Aiden holds the omega back now. “I know it!”

Luckily, the calvary arrives in the form of his dad and Peter followed by the principal. “Stiles!” calls down the hall. He’s never been more relieved than right now for his dad to be aware of the weird shit in his life. The sound distracts Scott, and makes him remember that they’re still surrounded by students, students who look at him like he’s lost his mind. 

The other teens back away from Scott as he tries to disappear. Great. Treat the omega like a pyrrhia. Sure, that will help. Stiles does notice that while the other teens try to get away, the teacher actually tries to get close to Scott. Strange.

“Is everyone okay?” his dad asks in full Sheriff mode. Peter gets to the pack to ask the same question, trying to keep his scenting to appropriate in-public levels. 

Stiles’ heart still rabbits in his chest. Peter throws an arm over his shoulders. “Deuc will be here in 5 minutes. Just hold on a little bit longer for me,” Peter whispers in his ear. Stiles nods and tries to rein himself in. His body vibrates with leftover adrenaline. 

Erica breaks in to answer John’s question, “Stiles got everyone out. I think we’re all okay.” A few teens nod along. 

“What happened?” asked the principal. 

“Birds,” Erica responded. The new arrivals look on, shocked, when she has to push hard on the door to get it open. Stiles knows that most of the pushing is a show, but still. The inside of the room is absolutely trashed. A massive pile of birds surround the door – all dead. 

The principal, like everyone else, appears shocked, muttering “Good Lord” before getting himself together. “Okay, everyone move to the library.”

The pack sticks together while the rest of the teens argue about getting out early. Once the others leave, his dad turns to the principal and gestures to the teens surrounded by Peter, “These kids are going back with their guardians. They should be here any moment.”

The principal nods, already making his way to the library. He has 25 other teenagers to deal with. And their parents.

“Stiles!” Deuc shouts at the same time that Ennis yells “Erica! Boyd!” Kali is with the two as they round the corner. They move even faster when they realize no one else is in the hall. Peter takes a step away from Stiles right before Deuc lifts Stiles into a hug. He doesn’t slow until after his Spark is in his arms. 

Stiles returns the hug, feeling the last of the adrenaline run from his body. “You’re here,” he murmurs into the wolf’s neck. Deuc gently rocks them side to side before placing him back on his feet. He doesn’t stop the hug though. 

“Of course I came, Sweetheart. You needed me.” He made it sound so obvious. Stiles just holds on tighter. Ennis holds his betas just as tightly. Kali has arms over both the twins’ shoulders.

It leaves Peter to check out the destroyed classroom. John follows him. Crows litter the floor, not just around the door though that’s where most are. The classroom is completely shredded. There must be a few hundred dead birds in the room. Peter leans out of the broken windows. Another large pile sits under the window.

The room stinks of darach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still figuring out the Scott situation. What do you think?
> 
> 1) kill him  
> 2) banish him  
> 3) embrace him - I really hate Scott so you’ll have to be persuasive


	6. Chapter 6

Stiles and the rest of the teens leave with Deucalion and Ennis once Peter & John pass around hugs. The sheriff pulls Stiles to the side as the others get ready to leave. 

“Kid, I am so proud of you,” he whispers, hugging Stiles. “No one got hurt. No one died, and they could have. Stiles, you saved people today. You did a hell of a thing kid.” Stiles smiles, but for once, doesn’t know what to say. His dad pulls him into one last hug before giving him a gentle shove towards Deucalion.

“You all get out of here. We’ll see you back at the house,” John says, turning back to look at the disaster of a classroom. 

Kali stays behind as well. There’s no way she’d leave her beta alone with something like this running around. She looks around with a deep frown on her face. 

A darach in the _school_. 

-

It’s the same darach from the Nemeton clearing, the same darach that tried to kill his niece just a few nights ago. Scent doesn't lie. Peter does not know the purpose of it calling crows. The horde seemed to focus on the entirety of the classroom based on the lack of concentration in the initial attack on the glass. There’s an even line of dead birds on the ground below. 

“Peter,” Kali calls from the front of the classroom. Peter turns from examining the carcasses surrounding the door. Her voice catches John's attention, even as he stays on a call with a deputy at the station. 

“It’s the teacher,” she whispers. John won’t hear, but it will keep others from hearing beyond the room they’re in. Peter raises an eyebrow at her. 

John hangs up. He’s not sure how to classify something like this. Peter looks at John, “Let’s get out of here. Think we can lock up the door?”

John nods and runs a hand through his hair. “Yeah, that sounds good. I can’t pull guys off the murders for this. Can’t really tell how someone could direct wild animals to call this a crime.” The man mumbles as he walks over to Peter and now Kali. Peter puts an arm over his shoulders.

John tapes up the door so he knows if anyone tampers with the room while Peter finds staff with a key to the classroom. 

As John finishes, Kali asks, “John do you need to be in the station for the next few days or can you work from the house? I don’t want any of the Pack alone until this matter is dealt with.”

John hums, “With the murders and now this, it wouldn’t be unusual for me to work in the field. I do need to check in at least once a day. Think I can get a chaperone?” He smirks at Peter. 

A shiver moves up Peter’s back. It’s not a pleasant feeling despite John’s teasing. 

“Let’s discuss in the car. I don’t like the feel of this place,” Peter remarks to the two others.

-

Ethan sticks close to Erica and Boyd. It’s only the second day of class, and already his maybe-girlfriend faced danger. It throws his instincts out of whack that he was so close, but didn’t even know something was going on until he received a text message like some normal teenager. 

“Deuc,” he calls softly to the wolf in front of him. Stiles leans heavily into his side, much like Erica being surrounded by Boyd and himself. More nightmares await. Wonderful.

“I didn’t hear anything, and I was only a few classes down. How is that even possible?” He asks. Ennis glances up from the rear view mirror at that. 

Deucalion cards his fingers through Stiles’ hair. The spark tries to get even closer. Deuc whispers, “It was probably a spell. Likely hasty as it did not linger. I am not yet sure however. You smelt the darach, correct?”

Ethan presses closer to Erica. She doesn’t mind, her normal sassiness gone in the face of strange fear. “I did,” he responds slowly. To the car he says, “I don't like this.”

Deucalion hums, but doesn’t respond. Stiles speaks for the first time since leaving the school, “I don’t either. Nem’s confused by what happened. They didn’t send the birds.”

Deuc helps Stiles lay down to get comfortable, his head in the wolf’s lap. They have a long ride ahead. Not for the first time, he hopes for the house to be finished soon. 

“I have a thought about that,” Deuc says.

Ennis chuckles, “Just one?”

Deuc kicks the driver seat, getting a smile from Stiles, and a noise of indignation from Ennis. Ethan rolls his eyes. 

Stiles turns over until his head is tucked into the wolf’s stomach. Deuc resumes his petting and the conversation, “I believe the darach is losing control. The Nemeton was going to be its power source. They will find a new one or nature will take care of the problem.”

-

The class settles in the library. Most of the students have already texted their friends and parents about the bizarre turn the class took. It doesn’t escape Scott’s notice that Stiles and Erica didn’t come with them.

Gerard was right about magic users. He didn’t believe the old man before, but after what he just witnessed, Gerard had to be right. Not for the first time, Scott wonders if the man’s disappearance has anything to do with Allison leaving. 

He needs her like plants need sunlight.

One day they were cuddling, laughing and planning how they would run their new territory. They were going to be so strong. A strong hunter beside a strong wolf would defend a territory beside each other for the first time in history. They were going to bring a wave of peace. It would bring Gerard's vision to life. The next moment, everything changed. Their house was deserted. A beautiful life crumbled. Everything in the house remained right where he remembered it, except for a few empty drawers of clothes in each of the bedrooms. They took nothing from Gerard's room. Allison and Chris left in a hurry. There were no goodbye notes, texts, or calls. Her phone was even disconnected. He's never felt so alone. 

Scott doesn’t know what it means, but it can’t be anything good. 

At first Scott didn’t know why Gerard needed Stiles. He remembers the shock of Stiles going missing. He ran to Allison and Gerard for help. Allison held him as Gerard told him the truth. The old man had to go through the long process of removing Stiles’ magic before his soul became corrupted forever. Power like that would corrupt him. Gerard told him stories of magic users who manifested too young. Scott shivers at the memories.

Now Stiles is back like he hadn’t disappeared so suddenly. He was excited to see him in the hall at first – he thought Gerard completed the task. Now he knows better. 

Stiles isn’t the friend he grew up with. Crows wouldn’t attack good things. His abuela used to tell stories of hordes cleansing the earth of evil, of conquering people who transgressed against nature. Stiles has transgressed. The events of today prove it. He needs to be taken care of. It’s a mission Scott can hold onto. He would do it for Allison and Gerard. He needs to honor them.

“Scott?” asks Ms. Blake, “Are you okay? You seemed pretty upset by that other student.” The teacher lays her palm between his shoulder blades. The touch feels nice. His mom hardly hugs him anymore with her crazy work schedule, and with Allison gone, he’s not sure of the last time someone actually touched him. He leans back slightly into her hand. 

Ms. Blake smiles softly at him. He feels like he can trust her. 

Scott frowns, “He’s not who you think he is.”

Ms. Blake draws her eyebrows together, “Really? Why do you say that?” She leans in slightly, putting just that much more pressure on his back. 

He sighs, suddenly tired, “I don’t have proof yet, but he took people from me. This attack, it was a warning.” Scott looks at the teacher, more serious than he’s ever been, “I need to stop him.”

Ms. Blake suddenly smiles again, now rubbing against his back, “Scott, I know what you are. I came here to investigate what is going on. I came to help.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You still have time to decide Scott's fate:
> 
> 1) Kill  
> 2) Kick out of BH  
> 3) Make him part of the pack - Let's be honest. This one isn't happening.
> 
> PS. You all are vicious and I ❤️it.


	7. Chapter 7

“It would be really nice to have a normal day,” Stiles whispers to Deuc on the couch. They wait for Peter, Kali, and his dad to get back from the school to figure out next steps. The other teenagers pile into the opposite corner of the den from where Deuc and Stiles lean close to one another. 

Ennis bakes, stress bakes, in the kitchen. Smells like cookies. 

Deucalion hums as he traces Stiles hairline, down his ear and neck. Stiles shivers and leans more heavily into the wolf’s shoulder. The man asks, “and what would a normal day entail exactly?”

Stiles shrugs. What is normal? It’s been so long. Did he want to go back to being bullied mercilessly everyday, only have one friend that he could count on? That’s not what normal feels like anymore. 

Deuc brushes his lips against Stiles’ temple.

Stiles sighs, “Normal is this right now. Being together, feeling safe.”

“Oh, runs through the Preserve!” Erica says.

“Grilling out and drinking spiked beers,” Ennis shouts from the kitchen.

“Beating Ethan at literally everything,” laughs Aiden as Ethan shouts “Hey!” and Erica cackles.

“You’re supposed to be on my side,” the nice twin says to her. 

“Sides are flexible,” she tells Ethan, and then whispers something in his ear that Stiles is glad he can’t hear. Boyd’s eyes flash from Erica’s other side, and Aiden stalks into the kitchen to keep Ennis company. Stiles really doesn’t want to know.

“Keep it in the bedroom,” Ennis hollers and Erica looks even more smirky if that’s possible.

Deucalion stands and pulls Stiles with him, “Come get some fresh air with me?” Stiles follows easily – that’s normal too.

-

Deucalion liked walks outside before his vision returned, but the experience before does not hold a candle to what he feels now. Great big sequoias host all sorts of songbirds and life that it feels like he experiences for the first time. Sunlight filters through the trees. He can lean his face up to the sun and not only feel the heat, but see how the insides of his eyelids turn paler in direct light.

His human eyes are so much different than the eyes of his wolf.

He truly forgot what he missed over the course of the last seven years, but now it had returned because of the care of his Spark and bonded Nemeton. The alpha would not trade his new normal for anything. He grasps onto Stiles’ hand as they walk one of the trails that wind through the forest on their property. 

“I wouldn’t trade you for anything, you know?” Stiles asks.

Deuc hums and holds his hand delicately. His Spark is breakable. “I do, Sweetheart. I feel the same.” He waits for Stiles to say what he needs. 

“I’m just scared.” Stiles mumbles, “What if I’m always scared?”

He tugs his spark closer, stopping and hugging him in the middle of the forest. “The goal of pack is to spread risk and expand joy. It is okay to be scared. We share it with you, darling. Just know that because we are all aware, the danger is less. We stand for one another.” Deucalion pulls his Spark into a deeper hug, and kisses his forehead. 

Stiles stands on his toes to give the alpha a peck on the lips, sighs, and leans into his chest. Leaves rustle, and birds chirp around them. Nem still feels okay, basking in the nice day. 

“Wards,” Stiles mumbles, already starting to turn towards the house.”We need wards, a magic alarm. Deuc, I can help!” He drags his wolf by the hand back towards the door, well drag is a relative term. It’s not like Stiles can make him do anything he wouldn’t want, but the Spark thinks he could probably drag Deuc anywhere. 

“Which wards are you thinking of darling?” Deuc asks as Stiles continues leading him to the library by the hand. 

“All of them.”

-

John watches Peter finally relax as they walk through the front door of the house. Everyone but Deucalion and Stiles sit on the sunken couch in the living room...watching Spongebob? Must be Aiden’s turn to pick. 

Peter rolls his shoulders, and Kali runs an arm along his back before doing a swan dive onto the couch next to Ennis. Dozens upon dozens of cookies cool on the island with platters of them sitting on the couch. 

“Where’s Stiles?” he asks the group, almost afraid of the answer. 

“Library,” Ennis responds, “He’s trying to figure out wards.”

“Wards?” John asks.

“Magic barrier things,” Aiden replies helpfully around half of a snickerdoodle in his mouth.

“Wards!” Stiles calls from down the hall, “I’m keeping that bitch away from Nem! Away from us too!” Deucalion follows Stiles into the room, watching him bolt to his dad for a big hug. 

“Hey kid,” John whispers, ruffling his hair as he lets go. 

Peter shoves a plate of chocolate chip at Stiles, and points to where Deuc has settled in the den. Peter knows Stiles so well. 

“Yeah, yeah,” the teen mutters, “I’m going.”

What follows is a long discussion of what has been found so far, from the Darach being the teacher to the Darach’s control slipping – nature takes care of the unnatural sometimes. Stiles isn’t used to knowing so much about the monster of the week, and it gives him confidence. It’s like his pack actually knows how to handle things, unlike with Derek where they just ran around and smashed stuff into submission. 

Stiles’ spine relaxes the more everyone talks and plans. They plan together. He knows that his pack operates differently from Derek’s. He knew in his bones that Derek wasn’t a great alpha back then, but having people to lean on gives new meaning to Deuc’s words from outside. 

Deucalion gives a happy little rumble as Stiles leans into him more, and nudges the cookie plate into the alpha’s stomach. 

The Spark frowns, thinking about one last issue. “What about Scott?” Stiles asks. “He’s feels like he will fly off the handle at any moment.” Deuc trails a finger up and down his collarbone, thinking.

John clears his throat, and Deucalion stops the movement. “Stiles,” the Sheriff asks, “has anyone told Melissa about what’s been going on?”

-

John, Peter, Ennis, and Kali leave Melissa’s house. The sheriff’s shoulders droop. The talk about the supernatural went well, all things considered, but Melissa was shattered by Scott’s secrets and radio silence with Stiles. She cried when he had to explain what happened to Stiles, Erica, and Boyd with Gerard. John did too.

Ennis and Kali move ahead down the steps, but Peter keeps a hand on his shoulder. The wolf pulls him into a hug. “You did as well as could be done,” Peter whispers to John. He nods and leans his head on Peter’s shoulder. 

It doesn’t feel like success when he can hear Melissa’s muffled crying through the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scott's ____ happens in the next few chapters.
> 
> By popular demand, Melissa will not be screwed.
> 
> Been reading a bit. Some great stuff has been updated lately!
> 
> The Basement by My_Write_Life - https://archiveofourown.org/works/14141301/chapters/32859102 >> kicks ass and takes names. Derek/Stiles >> what happens if Scott & Allison were actually held accountable?
> 
> To Be Heard by Slayer of Destiny - https://archiveofourown.org/works/28506369 >> I'm a sucker for Deuc/Stiles especially a comforting Deuc.
> 
> Retreat by for_the_love_of_the_wolves - https://archiveofourown.org/works/27032959 >> Stiles/Peter - can the Hales help Stiles recover from the Nogitsune. Can they all recover from their history?


	8. Chapter 8

“Are you sure you need it?” Scott asks. He watches the IV line run from his elbow to a blood bag at his feet. “Deaton never takes blood. Maybe we should ask him?”

Ms. Blake hums and opens the IV line, and watches transfixed as his blood travels down the tube to trickle into the bag. It’s a beautiful sight. 

“Ms. Blake?” Scott asks. The silence stretched too long. She gets too distracted when she’s tired. Jennifer glances at the blood bag again – that won’t be a problem soon. 

“I promise, it’s going to be okay Scott,” she smiles gently at the teen, trying to mean it. “Deaton would absolutely understand and agree. We don’t have a lot of time to make this work though. You said that you’re the closest to a brother that Stiles has, correct?” The idiot child nods. “Well, we should be able to use your connection to trap him. It will give us a boost.”

Jennifer is so lucky that the teen never tried to learn his talents. Idiot. 

“You want to help stop him,” she flutters her eyes and puts a comforting hand on his thigh, “don’t you?”

She switches out the blood bag for a fresh one. A drop of red liquid gets on her fingers. 

“Yeah, yes. I do!” Scott exclaims. 

Jennifer turns away, pretending to grab something, and licks her fingers. 

Delicious. 

-

Stiles scrawls in his notebook for hours, muttering to himself, and pulling more and more books onto the reference table in the library. He’s alone for now; pack come and go with treats and things, but don’t disturb him otherwise. No one will go to class until the Darach situation is under control. Outside of his dad’s chat with Melissa, Scott will have to go on the backburner. 

Huh.

Wait.

This makes sense. At some point, his doodling while absently reading turned into something actually useful. Really useful.

“Deuc!” Stiles shouts excited, “Deuc I’ve got it!”

He hears a thump from somewhere else in the house, but he’s already reconfirming his calculations. It still works.

“Deu–”

“Darling, I’m here, I’m here,” Deucalion says around a yawn. Stiles looks up and blinks. The wolf is delightfully rumpled in pajama bottoms and shirtless. Stiles blinks again. He’s very lucky. The spark’s cheeks heat.

“It’s late?” Stiles asks. He feels like he could run a marathon right now.

“It’s close to 4am Sweetheart,” Deucalion rumbles while shuffling over to Stiles. 

“Oh….sorry,” Stiles whispers, still sitting down at the table. He puts an around Deuc’s hips to get him closer. “Didn’t realize time got away from me. But look! I just need a few things, and we can protect the house.” Stiles scrubs his hands through his hair. “It won’t work to carry around. I need to figure out something for the pack when they leave, but it’s a start right?”

Deucalion carefully studies Stiles’ notes, “Darling, this is insane. Absolutely genius!”

-

Stiles shuffles into the room in the next day to find his Dad, Peter, and Deuc sitting at the table, steaming cups of coffee in their hands. The conversation pauses as he stumbles into the main room, and Deuc gets up to make him a cup before directing him to sit. 

Stiles isn’t awake enough to sense the seriousness of the conversation, even though it’s almost two in the afternoon. He does notice a bag of mountain ash and another of silvery powder sitting on the table though, and immediately gets excited for the grand experiment later today. He wants to get started.

“Stiles” John draws him back to the group at the table, “I need you to focus.” His tone is serious, and that more than anything, even the coffee, wakes Stiles up. He nods.

John takes a sip from his mug, and clears his throat, “Melissa called an hour or so ago. Scott didn’t come home last night.” 

Stiles draws his eyebrows together at that, already thinking about how weird things were yesterday after the birds. Was it only yesterday? It feels like a lifetime ago.

Peter continues on, “The rest of the pack has gone to check the school, the vet’s office, and check-in with Melissa. Is there anywhere else he could have gone?” Peter puts his arm casually around his dad like it’s no big deal. He narrows his eyes, but there are bigger issues to handle right now. 

Stiles needs more coffee. He doesn’t notice that it’s already finished until he blinks looking at the bottom of his empty mug. Deuc slides him his own, and Stiles smiles fondly at his wolf, even if the alpha takes it black. Better than nothing, and the action sweetens it enough.

Stiles takes a sip and hums, and finally shrugs, “Not sure where else to look, but yesterday I noticed the teacher try to get close to him after Scott accused me of sending the birds. Figured that she wanted to make sure he wouldn’t start something. Granted, that’s before we realized she was the Darach. Did Ms. Blake show up for class?”

Peter trades glances with John and Deuc and leaves the table without another word.

“Everything okay?” Stiles asks.

“We hoped that the Darach would take time to find a new energy source, but the chaotic energy of an omega...it was an oversight.” Deucalion states. 

Stiles pats the wolf’s thigh, and leaves his hand there. “S’okay. It’s been less than 24 hours since everything happened. I should have thought more about him, but with everything in the afternoon, I figured it wasn’t important. I should have stressed it more.” 

John sighs, “Both of you stop it. We can’t predict every little thing. When you go down the rat hole of shoulda, coulda, woulda, you lose time that’s more useful elsewhere. He hasn’t been gone that long. We can still figure this out.”

“Blake didn’t appear at the school today. They couldn’t find Deaton, but the office was ransacked.” Peter doesn’t even let the door finish closing behind him as he enters the room and conversation.

Stiles breathes deep, and tries to center himself. His hand clenches Deuc’s thigh, and the wolf covers his hand. “Are they coming back here?” Deucalion asks Peter. Stiles twines his fingers with Deuc’s.

“They’re on the way. We should see them in about 20 minutes or so,” Peter responds. 

Stiles sits in silence, waiting for the rest of his pack to come back. He can’t help thinking of the 10 years Scott stayed in his life. Inside jokes and shared secrets. So many memories. He remembers Scott helping him put baseball cards on the spokes of his bike, so that they could sound like a motorcycle gang pulling up to the Sheriff’s station. 

He becomes aware when his dad pulls him into a hug, wiping his cheeks with his thumbs. He never realized he was crying. They’re alone at the table now, but he can tell Deuc remains close in the kitchen as comfort fills his chest. 

“I’ve got you kid,” his dad whispers, “We’re going to get through this.” Stiles nods against his dad’s shoulder. They stay like that until the rest of the pack get home.

Stiles straightens and wipes his face on his sleeve. He stands to greet his pack. Ennis pulls him into a hug – his feet leave the ground. “Kid!” Ennis exclaims, “Peter told us about your plans!” He swings the spark around and Stiles can’t help but laugh a little bit. 

Ennis sets Stiles back down, dizzy and Deuc magically appears at his back. Stiles leans back into his wolf and Deuc throw his arms around his stomach, pulling him closer. His dad gives them a look, but Stiles gives him a look right back, putting a hand on Deucalion’s to keep him close. He needs Deuc. Especially now.

“So I have a plan for the house wards,” Stiles tells the group, “but I need your help. Well, I need your hair.”

“Just hair?” Erica asks, “I figured you’d need something like blood or whatever. Like blood of the covenant type deal.”

Stiles shivers, “Bloods-” he coughs, reminded of the basement, “It’s not, um, it’s not good for stuff. Don’t ever, don’t give it to people if they ask for it. If you give your blood, you give your life. You give control.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You'll see Cora next chapter. She's figuring out her life.


End file.
